Ixtlilxochitl Ome Tochtli (c. 1380–1418) was the ruler (''

tlatoani ''Tlahtoāni'' ( , "ruler, sovereign"; plural ' ) is a historical title used by the dynastic rulers of (singular ''āltepētl'', often translated into English as "city-state"), autonomous political entities formed by many pre-Columbian Nahuatl- ...

'') of the

Acolhua The Acolhua are a Mesoamerican people who arrived in the Valley of Mexico in or around the year 1200 CE. The Acolhua were a sister culture of the Aztecs (or Mexica) as well as the Tepanec, Chalca, Xochimilca and others. The most important p ...

city-state of Texcoco from 1409 to 1418 and the father of the famous "poet-king" Nezahualcoyotl.

Early years as ''tlatoani''

Claiming descent from the legendary

Chichimec Chichimeca () is the name that the Nahua peoples of Mexico generically applied to nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples who were established in present-day Bajío region of Mexico. Chichimeca carried the same meaning as the Roman term "barbarian" t ...

chieftains

King Xolotl Xolotl (or Xólotl; ) was a 13th-century Chichimec leader, a ''Tlatoani''. He was named after the god Xolotl, an eventual Aztec god. Chichimeca is the name that the Nahua peoples of Mexico generically applied to a wide range of semi-nomadic peopl ...

and Nopaltzin, Ixtlixochitl became ''tlatoani'' of Texcoco in 1409 after the death of his father, Techotlala. For several years thereafter, Ixtlilxochitl continued to pay tribute to the powerful

Tepanec The Tepanecs or Tepaneca are a Mesoamerican people who arrived in the Valley of Mexico in the late 12th or early 13th centuries.The dates vary by source, including 1152 CE in Anales de Tlatelolco, 1210 from Chimalpahin, and 1226 from Ixtlilxo ...

city of

Azcapotzalco Azcapotzalco ( ; ; from ''wikt:azcapotzalli, āzcapōtzalli'' “anthill” + ''wikt:-co, -co'' “place”; literally, “In the place of the anthills”) is a Boroughs of Mexico City, borough (''demarcación territorial'') in Mexico City. Azcap ...

and its ''tlatoani'' Tezozomoc. However, Ixtlilxochitl grew restive in this role and, in preference to Tezozomoc's daughter, married the

Mexica The Mexica (Nahuatl: ; singular ) are a Nahuatl-speaking people of the Valley of Mexico who were the rulers of the Triple Alliance, more commonly referred to as the Aztec Empire. The Mexica established Tenochtitlan, a settlement on an island ...

princess Matlalcihuatzin, a daughter of

Huitzilihuitl Huitzilihuitl () or Huitzilihuitzin (Nahuatl language; English: ''Hummingbird Feather'') (1370s – ''ca.'' 1417) was the second ''Tlatoani'' or king of Tenochtitlan. According to the Codex Chimalpahin, he reigned from 1390 to 1415, according to ...

, ''tlatoani'' of

Tenochtitlan , also known as Mexico-Tenochtitlan, was a large Mexican in what is now the historic center of Mexico City. The exact date of the founding of the city is unclear, but the date 13 March 1325 was chosen in 1925 to celebrate the 600th annivers ...

.Radin, Paul; "The sources and authenticity of the history of the ancient Mexicans" in ''University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology'', June 1920, Vol. 17 No. 1, In 1414, Ixtlilxochitl took the title ''Chichimeca Tecuhtli'' ("Lord of the Chichimecs") and urged the

to ally with him against Azcapotzalco. However,

, perhaps in deference to his wife, Tezozomoc's daughter, maintained his support of Tezozomoc and Azcapotzalco.

Tezozomoc attacks

In response to Ixtlilxochitl's defiance, Tezozomoc led a large army, including Mexica forces, against Texcoco. Despite some initial successes, Tezozomoc was repulsed. Ixtlilxochitl reacted to this victory by taking the battle to Azcapotzalco, and besieged it for several months. Unable to take the city, however, Ixtlilxochitl lifted the siege, and returned to Texcoco. The following year, the Tepanec forces, including Mexica contingents, again laid siege to Texcoco this time driving out Ixtlilxochitl, who was finally cornered in the foothills of

Mount Tlaloc Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

. His young son Nezahualcoyotl witnessed his death from the branches of a nearby tree. Texcoco was awarded to Tenochtitlan as a tributary, and Nezahualcoyotl fled into exile in Huexotzingo. Ten years later Nezahualcoyotl would avenge his father's death and retake Texcoco with the help of

Itzcoatl Itzcoatl ( , "Obsidian Serpent", ) (c. 1380–1440) was the fourth king of Tenochtitlan, and the founder of the Aztec Empire, ruling from 1427 to 1440. Under Itzcoatl the Mexica of Tenochtitlan threw off the domination of the Tepanecs and esta ...

, the future ''tlatoani'' of

References

* *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ixtlilxochitl 01 Tlatoque Texcoco (altepetl) Tlatoque of Texcoco 1380s births 1418 deaths 15th-century monarchs in North America